This invention relates generally to article holding devices. More specifically it relates to devices for holding articles to be merchandised and/or stored for later use.
There are many patents disclosing structures for the display and storage of articles which are intended to be mounted on vertical supporting surfaces. Those of which the applicant has knowledge fall into two different categories. The first of these may be defined as being of the bin type intended to hold loose parts or parts in small packages in an unorganized fashion. Such devices are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,702,649, 2,730,263, 3,203,558, 3,252,614, 3,563,394, 3,661,271, 3,698,565, 3,734,526 and 3,791,528. The devices of each of these patents, whether intended merely for the storage of parts in factories or service shops or for use in the home or for the display of parts to be sold, are nothing more than simple bins for holding loose parts or small parts held in packages. To the extent that any one of them is proposed for use or could be used as a merchandising device, they deal with only one aspect of merchandising to some degree, namely, of storage. They do not at all deal with the importance of attractive packaging and presentation to a potential customer. In fact, they do not deal at all with convenience in all of its aspects.
With respect to the first point, the failure to deal with the presentation of the articles to be sold, the bin does no more than afford a helter-skelter display of the articles, whether they be small hardware items such as screws, nuts, bolts, washers or the like; larger hardware items of the hand tool variety such as screwdrivers or wrenches; sewing items such as thread, bobbins, scissors and the like; or cosmetic items such as lipstick, fingernail polish; and food items such as spices. It is well known that the appearance of a display of articles for sale is an aid in the sale of the articles. An orderly arrangement of articles permits a purchaser to see clearly what he is buying, will be convenient to store and use, and provides him, in the case of the small quantity purchaser, with a visible assortment of items in which he is interested. The purchaser is going to be attracted to the display and will be more likely to purchase. Bins do not include structure which permits these results.
As for the matter of convenience, the bin type device offers a prospective purchaser convenience in the sense that he may reach into a bin and pull out a package of screws or five nails, or whatever. If that purchaser is interested in an assortment of items of different types and sizes, the bin requires him to go from one bin to another to collect his assortment or to search through a bin picking out what he wants. A bin does not provide means which serve all convenience objectives, particularly as related to an assortment of fasteners, bolts, screws or other small parts.
When used as a storage device the bin suffers from some of the same deficiencies; for instance, it may be perfectly satisfactory for an industrial user to have a bin full of screws of a certain size, for these articles may be used in great numbers. However, a hobbyist or the home workshop enthusiast may not have the space or money to provide separate bins for each item that he may want to use as he builds items or makes repairs in his home. Thus, bins do not treat all of the objectives for merchandising and storing diverse articles.
Another group of patents with which the applicant is familiar are wall mounted units which are of essentially the shelf variety. This group includes U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,033,378, 3,381,636, 3,613,604 and 3,908,831. Shelves, as with bins, from both the merchandising and storage point of view, deal at most with the elements of convenience and flexibility. As merchandising devices, assuming the store employees have done what they are supposed to do, the shelf presents a stock or stocks of articles to be sold. They do not compel an organized display of an assortment of related or identical articles for they simply provide a flat space on which articles can be put and depend upon store employees.
Molded cases for various hand tools are well known and serve primarily the transport and storage functions, but do not address the merchandising display function or the convenient access function.
As described, many known devices provide attractive merchandise display or provide for safe and convenient transport or provide for storage in the home or provide for easy use and access, but none are known which provide for all of these functions in one unit. The modules described in this application easily fulfill all these needs in an inexpensive, orderly and convenient way.
Therefore, it is an object of this invention to provide novel modular units which can be movably or removably mounted on vertical surfaces, and include means for attractively and conveniently presenting articles to be sold as sets.
Another object of this invention is to provide novel modular units which can be used to attractively display articles for merchandising purposes and which may also be used by purchasers as convenient storage for the articles until their use is desired and easy access to the articles when they are to be used.
A still further object of this invention is to provide novel modular units which are relatively economical to manufacture and yet have sufficient mechanical strength to permit their extended use as merchandising display devices and/or permanent storage of the article or articles contained in them.
A still further object of this invention is to provide novel modular units which can include means to protect against pilfering while holding articles intended for sale in a store and to also protect against the entry of dust and dirt.
Still another object of this invention is to provide novel modular units which can attractively display articles intended for sale, store those articles at the point of usage and is also provided with means whereby the articles can be conveniently transported by a purchaser from the store to the point of usage.
Still another object of the invention is to provide novel modular units which can be conveniently transported by the purchaser from his point of storage to his point of use (assuming that it is different from his point of storage) through the unique shape of the module and its cover, thereby forming a carrying case as well as a storage module.